Tough fighting for US Marines at Helmand, anger at Talibs rising/Countering Update

Interesting look at operational reality via Bouhammer's Afghan Blog (via The Thunder Run):

...
Anger, frustration and a hunger for revenge are running high among U.S. Marines as casualties mount on the frontline of the battle against the Taliban in southern Afghanistan.

On a base near Marjah, a Taliban stronghold in Helmand province, Marines are grieving the deaths of a sergeant and corporal killed by the remote-controlled bombs that have become the scourge of the long-running conflict.

Commanders try to keep the men’s rage in check, aware that winning over an Afghan public wary of the foreign military presence and furious about mounting civilian casualties is as crucial as any battlefield success...

MacLean recently led his unit on a routine foot patrol near Marjah, expected to be the scene of a major offensive this month to drive the insurgents from one of their last bastions of control.

What the Marines encountered was a likely precursor of the battle to come.
They were met by fierce gunfire from Taliban gunmen who pinned them down for three hours at the expense of two of their men.

One corporal stepped on an improvised explosive device (IED) — the remote-controlled bombs now the main weapon in the Taliban arsenal and which military intelligence officials say claim up to 90 percent of foreign troop lives.

The corporal’s legs were blown off and he was thrown yards into the air.
A second IED killed a sergeant who rushed to the corporal’s aid as bullets flew everywhere, MacLean said.

Three others were wounded in the clash, making it one of the bloodiest days for U.S. Marines since President Obama’s December announcement of a fresh troop surge in the war to eradicate the Taliban...

As I've noted before, the Talibs still seem a lot more willing to engage in firefights in Helmand than in Kandahar (see also this post). More on Marines in the area from the NY Times (note ANA troops alongside Marines in photo):

As Marines Move In, Taliban Fight a Shadowy War

Tyler Hicks/The New York Times
The Marines entered the villages in Helmand Province at first light during an operation to find Taliban fighters. More Photos >

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Update: Two countering posst from Joshua Foust at Registan.net:

Rage, Boredom, Misplaced Offensives [Helmand vs. Kandahar]

The (Taliban) Kite Runner

Plus:

U.S. Announces Helmand Offensive
In Unusual Tactic, Allies in Afghanistan Issue Press Release Describing Next Attack, in Bid to Intimidate the Taliban